The journey out of the Whispering Fen was a grim, silent affair. The oppressive fog of the Mire of Shadows gave way to the cloying humidity of the outer swamps, but the oppressive weight in the survivors' hearts did not lift. They were a fractured, traumatized group of four, a stark remnant of the proud, arrogant team of twelve that had entered.
Su Ling led the way, her cold demeanor a brittle shield against the horrors they had witnessed. Her commands were short, precise, and focused entirely on survival. Zhao Wei and the other surviving disciple from his team, a boy named Chen Yi, followed her like lost lambs, their earlier arrogance completely stripped away, leaving only the raw, trembling fear of those who have stared into the abyss and been found wanting.
Li Yu maintained his position at the rear, his performance as the exhausted, lucky survivor unwavering. He kept his spiritual sense suppressed, his aura carefully modulated to that of a Ninth Stage Body Tempering disciple who had overdrawn his energy. But beneath this placacid surface, his mind was a whirlwind. He was constantly monitoring their surroundings, a silent, invisible guardian angel guiding their path away from hidden dangers. More than that, he was acutely aware of the new, immense presence resting within his spirit.
Khaos slept. The connection was a quiet, dormant thing, but he could feel the colossal power of the Rank 9 Sovereign Beast, a sleeping calamity tucked away in the nascent world of his Koi's Sanctuary. He was amazed to find that the sanctuary was self-sustaining. The Koi spirit, with its newly awakened ability, was drawing in a form of ambient, high-level energy that Li Yu couldn't even perceive, a power that seemed to come from the void itself. It was a slow, steady trickle, just enough to maintain the sanctuary and provide a nourishing environment for Khaos to recover. While he could pour his own True Qi into the sanctuary to accelerate the process, it wasn't a requirement. His spirit was now a self-sufficient entity, its secrets deeper than he could have ever imagined. The thought was both daunting and exhilarating.
On the third day of their retreat, as they paused to rest on a patch of relatively dry ground, the silence was finally broken. Zhao Wei, who had been staring blankly at the murky water, suddenly let out a choked, hysterical laugh.
"Gone," he whispered, his eyes wide and unfocused. "Senior Brother Jian Long… just gone. One moment he was there, a Fourth Stage Qi Condensation expert, the next… nothing." He looked at Su Ling, his face a mask of terror. "Senior Sister, what was that thing? The sect's records… they don't mention any beast of that magnitude in the Fen."
Su Ling's expression was grim. "The records are incomplete. The world is vast, and its most ancient horrors do not advertise their presence." She looked at Zhao Wei and Chen Yi, her voice sharp and absolute, cutting through their rising panic. "What we saw in that basin, you will report it exactly as it happened. You will not embellish, and you will not hide a single detail. A beast of that magnitude, so close to our sect's territory, is not a matter of personal pride or failure. It is a threat to the entire Green Mountain Sect. Our official report will be the truth: we were annihilated by an unknown, terrifyingly powerful demonic beast. Senior Brother Jian Long and the others died because they underestimated a foe that none of us could have predicted. Is that clear?"
Her words were not a suggestion for a cover story, but a command to be truthful. To lie or downplay the threat would be an act of gross negligence to the sect.
"But… the lotus," Chen Yi stammered. "We didn't get it. The mission is a failure."
It was then that Li Yu spoke, his voice quiet but clear. "No. The mission was a success."
All three heads snapped towards him. He slowly reached into his storage ring and produced the sealed jade box. He opened it, and the pure, ethereal fragrance of the Serpent's Breath Lotus filled the air, its silver petals glowing with a soft, spiritual light.
Zhao Wei and Chen Yi stared, their jaws agape. Su Ling's eyes widened, her cold composure finally cracking with a look of pure, unadulterated shock.
"How?" she breathed, the single word carrying the weight of a thousand questions.
"When I charged forward to create a diversion," Li Yu explained, his story perfectly rehearsed, "my only thought was to draw the monster's attention away from the island. I never expected to reach it. But in the chaos, as it rose from the water, it created a massive wave. The wave… it threw me. By some miracle, it threw me directly onto the island." He shook his head, a look of lingering disbelief on his face. "I saw the lotus, and I just… acted. I grabbed it, and then I activated the talisman. It was all a blur."
It was a story built on a foundation of impossible luck, a tale so outrageous it could only be the truth. To suggest it was a deliberate plan would be to suggest that a Body Tempering disciple had orchestrated the entire event, a notion too insane for even them to contemplate.
Su Ling stared at him for a long, silent minute, her sharp, intelligent mind trying to piece together the impossible puzzle that was Li Yu. The lucky slip that saved him from the serpent. The convenient appearance of the Swamp-Lurker. And now, this. She knew, with a certainty that chilled her to the bone, that it was not luck. But she had no proof. She could not see the currents, only the path the fish had taken.
"You secured the mission's objective," she finally said, her voice carefully neutral. "In the face of certain death, you saved the mission from failure. The sect will reward you for this." She stood up, her decision made. "We are leaving. Now."
The rest of the journey was completed in a new, strange atmosphere. The two male disciples no longer looked at Li Yu with suspicion, but with a kind of superstitious awe. He was not just lucky; he was blessed by the heavens, a chosen one who could walk through a massacre and emerge with the prize. Su Ling, however, was silent, her thoughts a mystery hidden behind her cold, beautiful facade.
When they finally emerged from the Whispering Fen, the sight of the green, vibrant mountains of their sect was like a balm on their frayed souls. The flying ship that had been dispatched to retrieve them was already waiting. The deacon in charge took one look at their small, battered group and his face went pale.
The return to the sect was a somber affair. The news of the mission's catastrophic failure—and its miraculous, partial success—spread through the inner sect like a shockwave. Eight core disciples, including a powerful Fourth Stage expert, were dead. It was a staggering loss.
The four survivors were immediately summoned to the grand, imposing hall of the Sect Master. They stood before the highest authorities of the sect: the Sect Master himself, a benevolent-looking but unfathomably powerful old man; the First Elder, Su Ling's master; and the two rivals at the heart of the conflict, Elder Ning and a hawk-faced, grim-looking man who could only be Elder Jin.
Su Ling, as the highest-ranking survivor, gave her report. Her voice was calm and measured as she recounted the events exactly as they happened. She described the wounded Mire-Wyrm, Jian Long's decision to attack, and the sudden, terrifying appearance of the colossal crab beast. She detailed its ability to erase cultivators from existence with a single, silent attack, and its overwhelming psychic pressure. Her report was not an excuse; it was a grave warning.
When she finished, a heavy, shocked silence filled the hall. The elders exchanged grim, worried glances.
It was Elder Jin who broke the silence, his face a mask of cold, barely contained fury. "A beast that can erase a Fourth Stage Qi Condensation expert without a trace? And you all managed to escape? This story is preposterous!" His suspicion was a palpable force in the hall. "This sounds like a fabrication to cover for gross incompetence, or worse, treachery!"
"We survived because of the sacrifice of our fellow disciples," Su Ling replied, her voice unwavering. "And because of the quick thinking of Junior Brother Li Yu."
All eyes in the hall turned to Li Yu.
"Junior Brother Li," the Sect Master said, his voice gentle but carrying an immense weight, "it is said that you not only survived, but you also completed the mission's objective. Is this true?"
"It is, Sect Master," Li Yu said, stepping forward and presenting the jade box. "By a stroke of incredible fortune, I was able to retrieve the Serpent's Breath Lotus."
An elder alchemist stepped forward, opened the box, and his eyes went wide. "It is genuine! And its spiritual quality is perfect!"
A murmur of shock and amazement went through the hall.
"Fortune?" Elder Jin sneered, his gaze locking onto Li Yu. "My disciple, Jian Long, and seven others are dead, yet a mere Body Tempering disciple not only survives but conveniently profits. This is not fortune; this is treachery! I demand a full soul-search! He must have colluded with the beast, or used some dark art to sacrifice the others for his own gain!"
The accusation was a thunderclap in the silent hall. A soul-search was a brutal, invasive procedure that could leave a cultivator mentally crippled.
Before anyone could react, Elder Ning stepped forward, a wave of cold, powerful pressure emanating from her. "Elder Jin," she said, her voice like chipping ice, "are you accusing my personal disciple of murdering eight core disciples? That is a heavy charge. Do you have any proof, or are you merely letting your grief cloud your judgment?"
"The proof is that he is alive and my disciples are dead!" Elder Jin roared.
"Enough!" The Sect Master's voice was not loud, but it silenced the entire hall. He looked at Li Yu, his ancient eyes seeming to see through all secrets. "Li Yu. You performed a heroic act, creating a diversion to save your fellow disciples. You completed the mission. For this, the sect owes you a great debt. You will be rewarded handsomely. Ten thousand contribution points, and your choice of any Earth-grade martial art from the Myriad Tomes Pavilion."
The reward was staggering, causing another wave of gasps.
"However," the Sect Master continued, his gaze still fixed on Li Yu, "the existence of such a powerful beast so close to our sect is a matter of the highest urgency. Elder Jin's concerns, while born of grief, are not entirely without merit. The circumstances are… unusual." He looked at Elder Jin. "A soul-search is out of the question. But a full, public interrogation by the Disciplinary Hall's elders is warranted. We must extract every detail of what occurred in that basin."
It was a compromise, but one that still placed Li Yu in immense danger. The elders of the Disciplinary Hall were known for their ruthless, soul-shaking interrogation techniques.
"I have nothing to hide," Li Yu said, his voice clear and calm. "I will answer any questions the elders have."
He had survived the Fen. He had survived the monster. Now, he had to survive the politics of his own sect. The storm was no longer gathering. It had finally broken.